"We're really getting kicked in the teeth this year," he said, referring to the toll the winter weather has taken on the city's streets and the city's struggle to keep up with patching potholes as complaints come in by the dozen.

Powers said the city laid down 251 tons of asphalt cold mix — the material used to patch potholes — this February. That's up from 100 tons last February.

The city fielded 283 complaints — specific requests from citizens asking the city's crews to fill potholes — during the month of February. Powers noted that's more than six times the amount of complaints from February 2013.

City Administrator Steve Powers delivers a report on potholes to the City Council this week.Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News

"It's been very demanding," Powers said. "The combination of the heavy snow and a couple thaws so far this winter, and then the re-freeze, has really stretched not only the infrastructure itself, but also our crews."

Citizens can report potholes in Ann Arbor by calling 734-99-HOLES. The city tries to respond to requests within 24 hours.

"We are not making that 24 hours 100 percent of the time, but we are striving still for that goal," Powers said, noting it's difficult because the city's crews have other weather-related issues to address, including water main breaks and plowing streets.

"We're bouncing back and forth between snow and ice removal and then pothole repair, rather than being able to focus on one or the other."

Mayor John Hieftje chimed in on the issue at this week's City Council meeting, acknowledging: "The roads are a mess right now."

But he said he's hopeful the situation will get better.

Local officials are hoping to secure a chunk of the surplus funding that state lawmakers are talking about doling out for road repairs. Proposals moving through the state Legislature could send more than $200 million to communities.

"That would help us," Powers said. "The real solution to potholes is getting in there and repairing the road — at least resurfacing the road, if not reconstructing it."

If there's an increase in funding, Powers said, the money could be used for both pothole repairs and resurfacing projects.

Water collects in a pothole at the intersection of Huron Street and Fourth Avenue in downtown Ann Arbor on Wednesday.Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News

State Rep. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, is lobbying to get Ann Arbor a share of the surplus funding and has put forward a list of road projects submitted by the city.

The list includes a $350,000 resurfacing of State Street from Washington to William, a $2.1 million resurfacing of Plymouth Road from Nixon to Murfin, a $1.25 million resurfacing of Division Street from Madison to Huron, and a $370,000 resurfacing of Liberty Street from First to Main.

Irwin said he'll be lobbying hard to get Ann Arbor its fair share of funding, but said what's being talked about is not a permanent solution.

"It's an attempt to throw some one-time surplus money at a problem that really needs consistent investment," he said. "I'm supportive of the efforts to put some additional resources into patching potholes, but I think the public knows that's not a real fix."

Irwin said he wants to see an increase in the state gas tax to provide more funding on a more permanent basis.

"MDOT has done some credible work on this issue to show that not fixing our roads is actually more costly to Michigan motorists than it would be to fix them," he said.

"The state has been disinvesting in our roads for years," he added. "There's been a real lack of willingness to keep up with the increasing costs and maintenance and we've been letting that go further, and that is painfully obvious to drivers."

Ann Arbor officials maintain that crumbling roads and potholes are a statewide problem, not just an Ann Arbor problem.

The city's lobbyist in Lansing recently pointed out that Michigan ranks 50th in per-capita spending on roads at $154 per person annually while many neighboring states spend anywhere from $60 to $376 more per person.

Those numbers are based on the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association's analysis of 2010 U.S. Census data.

The Washtenaw County Road Commission shares the same concerns and is lobbying for increased state funding.

"We're up in Lansing trying to convince the legislators to do something," said Roy Townsend, the Road Commission's managing director.

"It will be interesting to see if the legislators are willing to do anything to fix the problem — are they going to give us money for potholes, or are they going to give us money to help solve the problem and fix it?"

Townsend said the Road Commission makes its own pothole patching material or "cold mix" by mixing oil and tar. So far this year, the Road Commission has produced about 1,000 tons of the material, double what it typically makes in February.

Powers said there are eight major thoroughfares where city crews are automatically going out at least once a day — sometimes more — to fill potholes.

Huron/Jackson — Main to the city limits

Packard — Eisenhower to Nordman

Packard — State to Stadium

Fuller — Maiden Lane to Fuller Court

Glacier — Fuller to Huron Parkway

Ann Arbor Saline — Eisenhower to Lohr

Scio Church — Main to Seventh

Huron Parkway — Washtenaw to East Huron River Drive

"We're focusing on the high-traffic, high-reported stretches of road," he said, noting the city relies on citizens to report potholes on lesser-traveled streets.

Powers said the city is taking responsibility for patching potholes on state-managed roads such as Jackson and Huron on behalf of the Michigan Department of Transportation and it's receiving funding from the state to do that.

"We're trying, and I think we're succeeding, in performing at a higher level than MDOT would be able to," he said, noting MDOT's standard for responding to pothole complaints is within 30 days. "Ours is 24 hours."

Powers said potholes can grow bigger and cause more damage to vehicles if they're allowed to fester, so the city tries to patch them as quickly as possible.

But it's been difficult to keep up with the volume, he said, especially when city crews have to go back to patch the same pothole multiple times.

"Because of that freeze-thaw cycle that we're in," he explained, "the cold mix that we're using to patch potholes isn't adhering as effectively as if it were staying above a certain temperature, so that's kicking the stuff out more."